Living Locally
'Tis the Season to Shop Local - shop.belocal.org
December 03, 2020
We believe small businesses are defined not just by their size, but by their spirit! Even amidst COVID uncertainty, the people steering the ships of these local businesses have remained gutsy and resilient. And what’s even more amazing? Be Local businesses continue to go one step further—they’ve maintained their commitment to being community-focused, even as times got tough. This holiday, we have a chance to show them that their efforts matter!
Sophia Tang, founder of CoRise Superfoods, is among one of many Calgary business owners that you should consider supporting this holiday season. After immigrating from Hong Kong at a young age with her family, wasting food was not an option for Sophia. “My parents worked very hard to support us, but we struggled”, Sophia says, “They would bring home sandwiches from the convenient store that had reached their best before date. I grew up eating almost-expired food, so I had an appreciation for never wanting to waste anything.”
The experiences of her childhood were some of the many catalysts that set Sophia on her business journey. She started CoRise to rescue & upcycle grains from local breweries and distilleries, and transform them into prebiotic coRise Supergrain. This Supergrain is used to create CoRise brainfood— products ranging from dog treats, to pancake mix, to crackers, to cereal. For every pound of grain up-cycled, CoRise saves 1,000 litres of water. Sophia also uses her company as a vehicle for supporting local mental health and pet companionship programs.
Before you set out for your holiday shopping this year, think about business owners like Sophia—she supports our community, and now we have the opportunity to support her. Consider the many reasons that shopping local matters:
Local Businesses Care About Our Community:
Small businesses give 250% more to non-profit organizations than large businesses.
Local Businesses Care About Our Environment:
Local businesses contribute 15x less pollution to our environment than non-local businesses.
Local Businesses Care About You:
Small business owners put their heart into the products and services you buy. They can tailor their offering to suit your needs and have the capacity to do so better than large chain stores.
Local Businesses Improve the Calgary Economy:
Local business owners spend 25% more of their company’s revenue in the local economy compared to big brand business. This money circulates to other local businesses, charities and community organizations.
Ready to support local but don’t know where to start? Check out our Holiday Gift Guide to view gorgeous products from our members.
This holiday season let’s choose to support businesses that put our community first!
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Sophia Tang, founder of CoRise Superfoods, is among one of many Calgary business owners that you should consider supporting this holiday season. After immigrating from Hong Kong at a young age with her family, wasting food was not an option for Sophia. “My parents worked very hard to support us, but we struggled”, Sophia says, “They would bring home sandwiches from the convenient store that had reached their best before date. I grew up eating almost-expired food, so I had an appreciation for never wanting to waste anything.”
The experiences of her childhood were some of the many catalysts that set Sophia on her business journey. She started CoRise to rescue & upcycle grains from local breweries and distilleries, and transform them into prebiotic coRise Supergrain. This Supergrain is used to create CoRise brainfood— products ranging from dog treats, to pancake mix, to crackers, to cereal. For every pound of grain up-cycled, CoRise saves 1,000 litres of water. Sophia also uses her company as a vehicle for supporting local mental health and pet companionship programs.
Before you set out for your holiday shopping this year, think about business owners like Sophia—she supports our community, and now we have the opportunity to support her. Consider the many reasons that shopping local matters:
Local Businesses Care About Our Community:
Small businesses give 250% more to non-profit organizations than large businesses.
Local Businesses Care About Our Environment:
Local businesses contribute 15x less pollution to our environment than non-local businesses.
Local Businesses Care About You:
Small business owners put their heart into the products and services you buy. They can tailor their offering to suit your needs and have the capacity to do so better than large chain stores.
Local Businesses Improve the Calgary Economy:
Local business owners spend 25% more of their company’s revenue in the local economy compared to big brand business. This money circulates to other local businesses, charities and community organizations.
Ready to support local but don’t know where to start? Check out our Holiday Gift Guide to view gorgeous products from our members.
This holiday season let’s choose to support businesses that put our community first!
